With a flash, the world begins
by clearpurity2
Summary: When sunshine is known to heal and replenish, what do you do when it begins to dim?


_Takes place after AXZ. Kind of just...hints at a lot of things but I'll allow people to judge for themselves. Regardless, hope it's enjoyable!_

* * *

A touch.

A flinch.

A gasp.

"Ngh..." Her fingers grabbed around the front of her shirt, balling the cloth up in between her fingers. The wall was inches away from her face but she swore she could feel hot air against her skin.

"Miku?"

Her voice sounded far away, dripped in concern and shock.

 _'You can protect her with this.'  
_ His voice snuck into her mind, overtaking the gentleness of her friend's voice.  
 _'You love her, don't you?'  
_ _'...'  
_ _'No need to be ashamed. It's only natural to have the desire to save a loved one, isn't it? To save a friend from the clutches of death. You'd erase death itself if you could wouldn't you?'_

His voice felt slippery and charming, somehow reading Miku easily. Was she that obvious or did he go through the same emotions?

Not being able to save the one you love.  
Feeling useless, helpless even, when all you want to do is protect them.  
You want to prevent any harm coming to them, despite how willing they are to put their lives on the line to protect others.

The act itself was admirable, Miku didn't disagree with that at all. She wanted to support their way of life-bher/b way of life-but deep down, she used to hate it. Why did the world have to chose them as their saviors? Why were ithey/i the ones that had to help a lot of people that wouldn't end up being grateful in the end? Would never actually know who they were?

On and on those thoughts came through her mind, and it only escalated after she learned Hibiki was going to die.

How many times have she heard about her friend dying?  
The Zwei Wing concert is where it started.

She invited her but didn't go.  
She almost died.

Now she was pulled into this life, a dangerous one at that, along with other friends that lived that same life. Tsubasa lived this life longer before they even came along. It was unbelievable.

There was a tickling sensation at the back of her head.

 _'Here, I'll give you the power to save your friend.'_  
 _'The power...to save her?'_  
 _'And create a world of peace.'_

The fingers gripping her shirt continued, and had become ever so tighter since the beginning. She felt hot, like air was escaping her lungs.

If this was a world of peace, then why did she heard screams?

"Miku. Miku!"  
As if her name was a lifesaver, Miku gasped, her eyes shooting open to meet with golden ones that seemed to even shine in the dark. Or was that the lamp?

"Are you okay? You're sweating..."  
"Mm...I'm fine. Just a bit...hot. Can we...turn the fan on?"

Hibiki stayed silent but leaned over to turn it on like she requested. It was a small one that sat neatly upon their headboard, but Hibiki lifted it off and placed it directly over Miku's face. It took her by surprise, Miku closing her eyes for a few seconds so her eyes wouldn't water from the sudden wind blowing, before opening her eyes with a pleased sigh.

"Thank you."  
"Yeah, sure." Hibiki said with a smile. Miku closed her eyes again, letting out a sigh before Hibiki's voice carried in again.  
"...Did you have a nightmare?"

Her tone showcased that she was cautious when asking. With the wind blowing against her skin, Miku slowly began to answer.

"It's okay. I can handle it."  
"But you were moving around so much-"  
"I was simply uncomfortable."

Her straight-forward answer must have been enough because she didn't hear Hibiki ask anything else. However, the second she gradually opened her eyes, it was clear that Hibiki wanted to speak and ask more questions. Miku leaned up, carefully holding Hibiki's free hand in her own.  
They felt warm.

"It's just one nightmare. We all have them on occasion. Don't worry. It's okay."

Hibiki placed the fan down and placed that same hand right over Miku's, repeating the words.  
"Don't worry, it's okay."

Miku chuckled, nodding in agreement.  
"Yes. Yes it will be."

 **'And in the darkness, ends the world...'**

Miku fumbled with the ribbon in her hair, the large ends twisting and curling between her fingers. Hibiki stood beside her in the mirror, messing around with the tie on her shirt.  
"Nnnnnnnnnn." Hibiki made some strange noise with her mouth.  
"Haaah." While Miku found herself doing the same. This ribbon surely wasn't cooperating with her today.

Even after Hibiki finished suffering with her tie, Miku has yet to pull her hair back well enough.  
"Are you okay?" Hibiki asked, fixing any wrinkles in her shirt and skirt. It was getting pretty cold out, might have to switch to winter uniforms again soon.  
"This ribbon-"

Miku let out a sigh. Her arms were getting tired, and all that fumbling messed up her hair again, so she took the brush-  
"I can do it!" Hibiki eagerly exclaimed, picking the brush right out of Miku's hand.

"What? Hibiki...!"  
"It's okay!" Hibiki began brushing Miku's hair down, lightly humming as she did so. Eventually she took hold of the ribbon, stuck the brush handle in her mouth to hold it in place, before gradually working with Miku's hair to pull it back into it's regular style. However, she wasn't having much luck either.

Miku could see her facial expressions in the mirror; confusion, determination, frustration and even...satisfaction? Maybe. It was even more amusing due to her mouth being contorted due to the brush handle.  
She'll have to remember to wipe that off.

"Hrmmmmm. It's not working." Is what Miku believed she said with how awkward she spoke with her teeth clenched down on the handle.  
"...If it's hard, don't worry, I'll-"  
"No, no! I got it!"

Hibiki protested every time Miku attempted to tell her _'No'_. And because of her insistence, Miku stopped. Instead of her normal hairstyle, Hibiki pulled it back into a ponytail, awkwardly placing the ribbon in her hair for a few more minutes before finally taking the brush out her mouth and placing it on the side.

"Okay, there!" Hibiki backed away, proud of her accomplishment. Miku tilted her head to the side, eyeing the ponytail carefully. It was practically the way she wore it in Junior High...but lower. Miku's hair wasn't that long, but with a lower positioned ponytail, it brushed against her shoulders. It wasn't the style she was looking for, but it will do. Besides, it wasn't often for Hibiki to do her hair...or Miku allowing her to.

"Thank you." She said as she picked up her school bag. "Come on, we'll be late if we don't leave now."

Running did help, even if it caused Hibiki to be winded by the time they reached the classroom. Miku chuckled, making sure to sit down carefully before focusing on class.

Guess it was nearly impossible for her new hairstyle to go unnoticed. Most didn't say anything and simply stared curiously, while some (including Yumi, Kuriyo and Shiori) chose to ask directly. It wasn't exactly anything extraordinary, all it was was a ponytail! But with Miku wearing her hair in a set style for so long, it must have caused some people to become fascinated.

At the end of the day, she sighed, feeling a bit more exhausted than she thought.  
Her finger prodded at the back of her head.

"Haaaaaa, it's so hot out!" Kirika's voice broke the silence.  
"Kiri-chan, it's actually fairly cold." Shirabe spoke up almost immediately in a soft voice.  
"Nah, that's because you're so chill, Shirabeeeee." The teenager stretched her name with a grin.

"Are you kidding me?" Chris had her hands resting behind her head as they walked, her schoolbag occasionally hitting her back. Hibiki proudly walked beside her with a smile on her face, swinging her bag beside her body without a care in the world.  
"We'll be using our winter uniforms again soon, then you won't have to worry about being cold, hehe."

"Then what about holding onto Shirabe's hand?!"  
"You don't have to hold hands all day, everyday."  
"Hand-holding is actually pretty nice, Chris-chan, hehe."  
"Then don't look at me! Go do that with someone else!"

Their voices began to fade.

Miku stared ahead, nothing in particular catching her interest.

 _'Love?'  
_ _'Yesss.'_ He stressed that word so much. _'It's a strong and addictive emotion. It makes you do all sorts of things you never could have dreamed! You never thought you'd be like this...did you?'  
'All I want to do...is stop the fighting. I don't want her to die.'_  
 _'Allow this to make that dream a reality. I'll help you-'_

"Miku-san?"

Immediately, Miku stopped walking, eyes focusing on Shirabe's voice. They were all staring at her.  
"H-Huh? What's wrong?" Why were they all looking at her?

"We have to head back to HQ for a quick debriefing. Did you wish to come along?" Kirika asked.  
"O-Oh, uh, no. It's alright. I have a piano class to attend. Getting ready for a test next week."

"You sure?" Hibiki interjected.  
"Yes, of course. Go ahead."

There was a lingering silence, one Miku wasn't sure how to handle. Was something wrong? Did she miss something?

"Alright, we'll call you once we're done! We'll be right back!" Hibiki gave her a wink before running off with Chris, Kirika and Shirabe. Miku waved them off with a smile, allowing her arm to rest beside her after a few seconds before walking off in the direction of her class.

Silence once again. It allowed her to think too much.

Her piano class was noisy, however, but the keys were so soft and gentle under her fingers Miku believed she would fall over. At one point, she pressed down on the keys so hard it created a loud, distorted sound. Surprising not only herself, but the entire class.

"Kohinata-san, are you alright?" One girl asked.  
"Mm, y-yes. Why?"  
"Looked like you were dozing off." Another one spoke. "You pressed on the keys so hard it woke you up I think, haha. Been studying too much?"

A multitude of the girls laughed, Miku joining in eventually.  
"Of course. I'm so determined to pass, after all."  
"Always the diligent worker. Well," one of the girls placed her hand on top of the piano, "...guess we should leave you to it! We'll be here to help if you need it."

Miku nodded her appreciation as they soon went to their seats to look over some of the music sheets. Her eyes soon drifted back down to the keys.

"...What was that?"

She left the classroom without much incident afterwards, heading back towards her dorm. The sun was beginning to set; were they not done yet?

With no destination, Miku carelessly set her bag down on the table before kneeling down in front of it. She carefully set out the papers, spreading the music sheets across the table for her to read more easily. They had to study and memorize them, along with a written report of how the piece they selected may have affected them, or perhaps why they chose it in the first place.

Simple enough.

Miku chose to work ahead of schedule, awaiting a call from Hibiki or anyone else to let her know when they would be coming back. Hours passed, allowing the moon to replace the sun. Not a single call or text yet.  
"It's well after 8." Miku spoke, checking her watch. Did they get caught up in something? Very well could have been.

"At least I feel well prepared for the test." Miku smiled with confidence, finally taking her ribbon out of her hair with ease, allowing it to fall.

 _'They're coming. And you can't stop them.'_

Her eyes shot immediately towards the front door. Was that a voice? Miku stood to her feet and walked over towards the door, awaiting the sound of a voice but was only met with silence. It wouldn't be Hibiki but she also didn't hear any sort of activity throughout the hall. Miku turned away from the door, focusing back on her work.

 _'We'll destroy them.'_

Miku turned back towards the door. Not a single thing changed. Perhaps she left the radio on? The TV wasn't on either.

"What is-?"  
 _'They're getting too close.'_  
 _'There's another vessel.'_

The voices sounded garbled; she could barely understand a word. Eventually, Miku jogged over to the window, looking outside to notice any strange figures. It was dark, but she could easily see that everything looked normal. That is, until she looked up towards the moon.

The sky had a few clouds scattered about, but what caught her attention more was how red it was. Only once before did it do that-back when Lydian was first destroyed.

Her hands dug into her pocket to search around for her phone, taking it out and nearly dropping it from how fast her fingers were moving. The second she placed the phone towards her ear, there was a dial tone.

 _"The person you are trying to reach cannot be located at this time. Please hang up and try again."  
_ "What?"  
 _"The person you are trying to reach cannot be located at this time. Please hang up and try again._ "

With each call, Miku reached a dead-end. Tsubasa, Maria, Kirika, Chris, Shirabe-they didn't answer their phones either. The same message every single time.

"Why won't any of you pick up?" Were they hurt? Did they have any signal? Were they screening calls? But Miku was still considered an external agent, right? Then why would they ignore her if they knew it was her? It didn't make sense. Once she looked back out the window, she saw them all.

Lying on the ground.  
Lifeless.  
Unmoving.

"A-Ah..." She attempted to speak, yet broken air escaped instead.

They were equipped with their Gears, all of them obviously broken to showcase how hard they all fought. Sparks flew around them, Miku swore she could hear the popping of electricity in her ears.  
 _'Another one. There's another.'_  
Now her eyes got adjusted to the darkness

Strange shadows hovered over them, practically surrounding them in a circle. There were a few others a bit further away, their piercing gaze staring in her direction. They were haunting, almost as if they were dead set on their goal, whatever it may be. Over and over she heard the word 'vessel'.

Vessel.  
Vessel.  
Candidate.  
Balal.

The words only got louder and louder as they made their way forward, coming closer and closer her way. Miku took steps back before turning to head for her front door. The voices didn't stop nor could she leave. The second she turned around, they were there, speeding towards her. Her heart pounding, Miku raised her arms to protect herself.  
"N-No...wait...!"

Miku gasped, lifting her head off the table. There was silence now, as her eyes darted back and forth between the window and the door. She physically got up to check the window to see...  
"...nothing."

There wasn't anything there. No one was lying down on the ground and she no longer heard anyone speaking. Even checking outside her door, looking back and forth down the hall gave her nothing but more questions.

But it was still late, well after 10 now, so where were they? She must have fell asleep for two hours. Next thing she did was take out her phone, ready to call but noticed a text message instead.

 ** _'Sorry, Miku. Talks have been going on for so loooooooong. But we should be done soon. If you're still awake, don't wait for me! Head to sleep! Just going to be late. Talk to you later!"_**

There was a sense of relief that washed over her the second she read it. They were okay. Of course they were okay. It was a nightmare, there wasn't anything to worry about.

 _'No, no. Of course not.'_ Miku continued to tell herself that as she cleaned up her mess, preparing for bed.

But once she laid there in the dark, alone...her mind began to wander.

"...Vessel?"

 **'Chaos; a lost dream. Purgatory; a happy dream.'**

Miku chose to go track running today.

Whenever she found herself stumped or couldn't think, a good run would always clear her mind. It was freeing, allowing Miku to feel the air through her lungs again. And luckily, she managed to get Tsubasa to run along with her. Doing so at the school would have been a poor choice, as everyone would be clamoring over Tsubasa, preventing her from getting a good workout and getting distracted. So Miku chose to go to the one nearest to HQ.

They sure have a lot of useful facilities to use.

Miku kept her breathing even, fingers extended beside her as she ran. Tsubasa was good at training, and that included running. Despite being able to keep up with her, Tsubasa's stamina skills and years of practice showed. At the end of their run, Miku was bent over chuckling, Tsubasa standing beside her with a satisfied smile.

"You okay, Kohinata?"  
"Hah, I'm quite alright. I got a bit too excited. Felt like it's been so long since I've run."  
"I've noticed this before, but your form is the exact same whenever you run. Tachibana did say you used to do track and field. But not anymore, correct?"

Miku was surprised at how vocal Hibiki was about her side hobby before attending Lydian. It was cute, but she couldn't figure out why.  
"Yes. I stopped once I came to Lydian." She knew her reasons, but she didn't. Not even Hibiki knew the extent of her reasoning but it was better that way. Tsubasa didn't ask, but Miku continued to speak anyway.

"...I did to become a better person."

 _'A better person? No, no.'_

She winced.

"A better person?" Tsubasa questioned. "You always seemed to be 'wise beyond your years' so to speak."  
"R-Really? Well...I still mess up every once in awhile."

 _'I'm going to destroy everything to save her.'_

"Kohinata?" She heard Tsubasa's voice, registered the concern in it, but couldn't say anything until her legs gave way. For the next few seconds, she couldn't recall what happened. Everything was a blur, right until the moment she felt Tsubasa's arm cradling her abdomen.

"Are you alright?"

Miku placed her hand on Tsubasa's shoulder, using her as a means to carefully push herself up.  
"Yes, I'm fine. I must have exhausted myself a bit too much." Miku chuckled, giving her friend a few pats in hopes to reassure her. But even that must not have been enough.

It's been a few days since that nightmare of hers, so she figured that running would be the best way to fight it off. And yet here she was, feeling drowsy. Did she not get enough sleep like she thought?

There was no need for her to be having these dreams again. It was in the past and she's learned and grown from it. They all have. And it's for that very reason that Miku chose not to speak about them.

So she practiced.  
She ate lunch  
She waited whenever missions were over and studied as she did.

But it felt like she was being watched. With every move she made, Miku felt a pair of eyes on her. Whether it be at school or HQ whenever she took the chance to visit.

There's no telling as to iwhy/i she felt this way, but it had to have been that dream.

"You look so tired, Hina. You okay?" Kuriyo asked her. She made it back to school without worry after her small training session with Tsubasa.

"Mm, I'm fine."  
"You're not staying up late studying for this thing, right? I'm sure you'll do fine!" Yumi's voice came in.  
"We'd help you if we could." Shiori added.

"It's alright, don't worry. I've studied enough and I think I can pass with no problems. I always do." Well, not always but much better than Hibiki at least.

"Yeah, no doubt!" Yumi exclaimed.  
Miku stayed quiet but nodded her head in agreement. It wasn't long before she needed to leave, gathering up her things and waving goodbye to her friends. Time to place all that studying and apply it to the test.

As she sat there awaiting her turn, Miku thought about their latest encounters.

They've all been through so much. Their normal school life always seemed to overlap with the supernatural, or technically, much more mythical things than they could imagine. Sure, the Noise used to be a normal part of life and were always considered strange, but well over a thousand year old alchemists? And after that strange power took over Hibiki, Miku could only fathom what it all meant. Hibiki didn't speak about it afterwards, perhaps because she can brush that off much more easily, but sometimes Miku wondered-

"Kohinata-san?"  
"Ah, y-yes!" Miku stood to her feet at the sound of her teachers voice.  
It was her turn to play now.

Miku placed herself right in the seat, taking a deep breath as she hovered her fingers over the keys.

 _'Okay, just like we practiced.'_

Miku pressed down on the keys with ease, feeling much more relaxed than she initially thought she would feel. Actually, the notes seemed to come to her much more easily the longer she played.

She could feel a smile forming.

But that pain. That pain in the back of her head, it-

Her fingers slipped off the keys, pressing down on random inaccurate notes as they did. She remembered seeing the ceiling until everything fell into darkness.

Now her body felt as if it was floating, but not in the air. No, she could feel liquid around her, but she wasn't drowning.

Images flew through her mind. How to fight, how to use the Gear properly, how to implement everything she was seeing into battle.  
There was so much fighting. But she needed this in order to protect her loved ones, right?

 _'Relax.'_ His voice was calm, and yet his expression held the look of someone mad. _'You'll be doing us all a huge help in saving humanity.'_

Saving...humanity? Could she really stop all the fighting with this? Could she save Hibiki like this?

 _'Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes!'_ But she knew the true answer to that now.

When her eyes opened, she took note of different type of ceiling. Her body felt warmer too, leaning against something soft and comfortable. A bed?

Miku began to push herself up with her elbows, looking around the room to confirm what she assumed; this was the school's infirmary.

"Miku! You're awake!" Hibiki came running at her at almost neck-breaking speed, but slowed down immediately to give her a gentle hug. Miku gradually raised her arms to return the hug, giving her best friend a few pats on the back. But she didn't move. Hibiki's grip was tight, and she seemed determined to hold onto her.

"Haha, Hibiki, I'm fine. You'll hug me so hard I won't be able to breathe."  
"Ah! Sorry!" She backed off immediately after that, grinning awkwardly while Miku gave her a gentle smile yet it didn't last for very long.

"You passed out during class. I was worried."

So she actually did. Hibiki sat beside her, that smile earlier easily replaced with concern.  
"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Miku shook her head, mainly in an attempt to reassure Hibiki but also to shake the dizziness still lingering.  
"I'm okay. I stayed up too late studying, that's all." Ah, speaking of studying, what about her test? Did she fail or would she have another chance to retake it?

"Miku-" Hibiki began but-  
"Hey! Miku-san! Are you alright?!" Kirika ran in with Shirabe right beside her.  
"We heard you fainted. Do you feel weak at all?" Shirabe questioned.

"No, no, I'm fine now. Just a little dizzy."  
"Did you eat enough?" Kirika spoke.  
"Yes."  
"You're not dehydrated, either?" Shirabe asked.  
"N-No."

They continued with questions like that for a while, Hibiki silently watching and chuckling from time to time.

"Just make sure to take better care of yourself! And we'll be here to watch over you until you do!" Kirika boasted proudly with a grin. Guess Miku wouldn't be able to escape from this.

They stayed with her and talked until she was cleared. The nurse considered it exhaustion, advising for Miku to get to bed early, or even taking a day off tomorrow. Her professor said she could take it whenever she felt better and wouldn't lose points; that was kind of him but she knew it wouldn't last for very long. Hibiki, Kirika and Shirabe headed back to HQ, as they had another mission to discuss while they all advised her to head back to the dorms and rest.

"Get plenty of sleep! I'll be back later!" Hibiki exclaimed before she ran off with the others. Miku waved them off before, once again, heading back towards her dorm room. An odd sense of loneliness creeped into her before she could even open the door. This had nothing to do with lack of trust, right? Miku has moved past that and yet...why does she feel lonely?

Miku turned away from the building, choosing to walk around town with no sense of direction. Her hands went to the back of her head, index finger rubbing slightly underneath the bow. The voices around her as she walked only began to blur and melt into each other.

 _'I trust them. There's no more doubt and fear in my heart. What I did in that Gear was wrong, but I have gotten past it. So...why am I...?'_

Miku felt her body collide with something sturdy and hard, interrupting her thoughts immediately.  
"A-Ah, I'm sorry, excuse me!"  
"...Miku?"

It was impossible to mistake that pink hair anywhere.  
"M-Maria-san!?"  
"Shh!" The older woman awkwardly placed her hand on Miku's head, trying to avoid some of the stares from nearby people. Why was she trying to be secretive? Oh, wait, then again she was in a public area. Maria chose to wear shades, a hat, and her long wavy hair was pinned up in it.  
...There was a hat that could contain all her hair?

"S-Sorry. What are you doing out here?"  
"Thought I'd pick up a few things before we head off. Not until tomorrow however. Are you alright? You seemed out of it."  
"Y-Yes! I'm fine, I'm sorry." At least if there was anyone she had to run into, it was Maria.

Maria was silent for a few extra seconds before placing her arm around Miku's shoulders.  
"Come on, let's go somewhere more secluded."  
That wasn't what she expected but Miku didn't turn her down. She had no idea where Maria was leading her but when the building came into view, she knew exactly what it was.

 _'A library?'_  
Maybe she wanted some place quiet to talk and it iwas/i an ideal quiet place that may not cause too much attention.

Once they got inside and found a table to sit at further away from the entrance, Maria went straight to the point.

"What's wrong, Miku? Hibiki's been telling us you haven't been sleeping well. And even if she didn't, it's fairly obvious."

Miku wasn't one to lie the same way Hibiki did; laugh, smile and say she's 'fine' despite how obvious it is that she wasn't. It was a coping mechanism she was used to seeing, one that she was glad Hibiki was working on to get better with. As for her?

If it was obvious enough already, no need to lie.

"...I haven't."  
"Why?"  
"..."

She was so quick in her responses that it took Miku a bit to respond back.  
"Nightmares. Or...dreams, I should say. Oddly vivid ones."  
"Mind me asking what they were about?"

Miku drew circles on the table with her index finger.

"I can't explain them. Most of them are...times when I used that Gear. I'm not sure why." She paused. Maria was silent during the intermission but never took her eyes off of her. As Miku took her time thinking how to explain her other one, Maria waited patiently. She didn't rush nor did she seem impatient from her body language.

"There was another one that I can't explain. All of you...were gone. Or I should say...defeated."  
'Dead' could never leave her lips; she wasn't sure if they were.

"There were these strange...shadow-like beings. They seemed human but didn't sound like it. Over and over they spoke of...a vessel or perhaps something about Balal?" Wasn't that in reference to the Curse of Balal? Miku couldn't be 100% certain. Even if it was, why were they saying it in her dream?

"...I see." Maria finally spoke, leaning further back in her chair with a sigh before leaning forward again. "Are you worried?"

"No...! I trust all of you to come back. Really!"  
"But?"

Maria knew there was more to it, but Miku didn't speak this time. She didn't intend to stay silent, or seem as if she was ignoring Maria's concern and question, but found herself not saying anything. Instead of pushing, Maria pat her hand.

"You should talk about it with her. Don't wait. We're all here for each other, and that includes you."  
"I know." Miku responded immediately. "I do, trust me. It's simply not the same. I'm a bit envious of you all sometimes." Being able to head into battle without hesitation, facing the danger despite the lingering fear that can easily take over when faced with an impossible enemy.

"Why do you say that?" Maria questioned. Miku shook her head with a smile.

"Never mind. Thank you, Maria-san. You really are an idol, and not in terms of your celebrity status."

Maria chuckled.  
"...I don't know about that. I'm not as strong as everyone believes. I wouldn't say I'm anyone to look up to."

"Of course you are. There are aspects within all of us that are worthy of being idolized. That weakness is strength. However, I'm sure you know that already so I won't repeat myself."  
Miku looked down at the table.

"After all, we're the same in that regard, so I understand." With that, Miku stood to her feet, still carrying the smile with her.

"Thank you, Maria-san. Perhaps I can become a bit more honest with her about it." She also needed to work on that weakness, just like how everyone else was determined to become stronger.

 _'Yes. I must do the same.'_

 **'Resonate...for the future.'**

Hibiki was already there by the time Miku got back.

"Ah, you're back!" Hibiki rose to her feet from the table and immediately enveloped her into a hug.  
"You knew I was gone? I thought you'd be staying over at HQ." Miku spoke as she pat her on the back.  
"They allowed me to come back for the night."

Hibiki didn't let her go, and it took a few more pats and Miku placing her hands on her shoulders until she let up in her grip.

"Don't you have to wake up early tomorrow?" Miku walked towards her dresser, beginning to take off her uniform.  
"Yeaaaaaah, but it's not a big deal!"  
"Come on, let's change and head to sleep, alright? You need it."  
"Aha, yeah."

Hibiki soon joined her in changing. They ate before getting into bed of course, but it was a quick and silent one. Well, not exactly silent as they spoke about anything that struck their fancy in between bites. Maybe it was simply hard to talk and eat fast all at once without choking.

Miku felt tired once she got under the covers yet found herself staring up at the ceiling instead. She stared for what felt like ages at the bland color, listening to Hibiki's breathing beside her. Every time she felt herself falling asleep, her eyes shot back open. If she was tired, why couldn't she sleep?

She eventually moved to face towards the wall, yet couldn't find comfort in that position either. Soon she turned to lay on the other side of her body, which made her face Hibiki, to see those same golden eyes staring back at her.

"H-Hibiki?" Miku thought her heart jumped into her throat.

"...You can't sleep, can you?"  
"I-I thought you were..."

Hibiki merely stared while Miku attempted to calm herself down from the initial surprise.

"Miku...it's okay." Hibiki took hold of her hand. "You can be honest. You can say what's wrong."

"They're just...nightmares, Hibiki." Oddly she couldn't stop herself from saying 'nightmares' instead of dreams. Poor choice of words. Hibiki stayed silent, keeping the grip on her hand and gave it a brief squeeze.

Miku looked away and sighed.  
"It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that I...it shouldn't be much of a problem. It's over and done with."

Miku gripped her hand tighter.  
"But I can't escape this haunting feeling that it may only get worse from here. That all of you will face something even worse than...what just happened. I've come to terms that our lives will never be the same since all this started, and I don't regret anything. It changed even as far as me inviting you to the concert. But...all I want is for all this fighting to stop. For you all to have a normal life. I-I..."

She felt her eyes burning; where was this coming from? Was she regressing? Hibiki was silent but soon pulled her in for a hug. Miku felt her face push against Hibiki's shoulder which only made her eyes burn further.

"...It's okay, Miku. I know how hard you work. We all do. Being left behind is hard...and I'm...sure you still end up worried, no matter how many times I try to reassure you. But that's okay."

"H-How? That just shows-"  
"You're not weak."  
"Eh?"

"Kohinata Miku is my sunshine. It's warmest when I'm near her and that's the place I always return to. But not just for me, for everyone. You warm up everyone in your life...just by being you. It's a skill only you have. It's always been that way, and it always will be."

Miku didn't say anything but chose to place her face further into Hibiki's shoulder.

"You can tell us anything, you know? That's what we're here for! You're fighting just as hard as us. Sorry for worrying you so much, but I promise everything will be fine. And if anything else comes along, we'll defeat it just like we always do!"

Miku felt her fingers in her hair. The throbbing pain in her head began to fade away. Her eyes finally started to close.

 _'I've gotten stronger but...I still need to get better. This worry continues to creep into me. It won't ever go away. But I trust them. I want to continue believing in them and make sure she comes back to a warm place...even with the next struggle looming over the horizon.'_

 **'The notes separate and fold on top of each other.'**


End file.
